Knitted article and method of making same



July 20, 1937. G. GASTmCH y 2,087,572

KNITTED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed larchlO, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @www @mmm BY (QW w ATTORN July 2o, 1937. @1 GASTHCH 2,087,572

KNITTEDLARTICLE AND METHOD 0F MAKING SAME Filed March 1o, 1954 r2 sheets-sheet 2 l I N VEN TOR.

y BY

\ ATTOR` Patented July 20,1937

UNITED STATI-:s

KNITTED ARTICLE AND METHoDoF `MAKING SAME f Gustav' Gastrich, Wyomissing,fla., assignorl to I Textile` Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania v i Application March 10, 1934, Serial No. 714,911

' 1oc1aims. (C1. tss-178) My invention' relates to knitted fabrics, particularly stockings, whereon markings, information tags or like elements are provided. y y

It has been a practice of certain unscrupulous dealers, especially in the eld yof full fashioned stockings wherein the market is extensive and the competition4 keen, to dispose' of seconds,

which have imperfections therein,l as perfectv stockings or firsts, by altering, removing, destroying or substitutingmarkings or tags usually applied to seconds to indicate that such stockingsY stituted or similarly installed in any flnished stocking.

Thus, a manufacturer, by appropriately marking the tags, is protected against unfair competi-` tion, against the return ofK seconds or lower grades for superior grades of the same stock, the return of old for new stock, and like practices; the jobbers and retailers are protected as to each other and also',l in certain respects, as to retail customers; discriminating purchasers'are protected as are the manufacturers and dealers, and the 'general purchasing public Vis protected. to .a

'substantial extent so far as affected by this partlcular feature of unfair trade practices. Y

3,5k Tags have, in general, been heretofore.`em ployed on stockings, but none of them, so far as I am aware, have conduced to the kind lor degree of protection herein contemplated, or have taken into consideration, as well, other features 40 such as .comfort to the wearer, attractiveness of design, lack of objection to their presence, facility of installation and inspection, andpermanency of character, irrespective of certain" manufacturing vand service effects occurring subse- 45 quent to the installation thereof; it being among the-objects of the invention to overcome the objections of prior similar attempts, to provide .the advantages above indicated, and -to Vprovide a lcombined stocking and. marker structure that,

59 shall be simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and effective in its op-l eration.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of and a means Afor, marking and ren- 55, dering permanent the identication of, specicordance with the invention.

mensproducedin experimental `or research work wherein such marking and Y identification` has heretofore particularly been of more or less'non'-l descript andtemporary character.'A a

With these and yother objects in View', lwhich 5 will become apparent from the following detailed descriptionA of the illustrative embodiments of the invention `shown in the accompanyingdrawf ings, my invention resides in the riov-zl'fabrics and articles, and method of producing the same, 10 as hereinafter more particularly pointed outin the claims. f In the drawings: K Figure 1, of the accompanying drawings, is perspective view of a combined stocking and tag 15 structure of the invention, as viewed from the rear and with the stocking extended, asin actual service form;` v f Fig. 2 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, and taken substantially along' the line 2-2 of 20 Fig. 1, of a top portion of the structure thereof, part being broken away for purposes of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a face View of a tag or marker of one form suitable to the invention; Fig.V 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of a tag of another form adapted to the invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view, on a. greatly magnified scale, of a portion A of the structure,

asA viewed in Fig. 2; v 30 Eig. 6 is a` view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and f Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views of portions'ofl a knitting machine, a stocking anclaI tag, inA successive stages of the manufacturenof v the stocking and the installation of the tag in ac-v` `The linformation tag may be'applied to any part of the stocking or other knitted article, for any purpose, duringl thevfabrication of ,the larti- 40 cle, althov in the specific embodiment illustrated herein is shown as applied to the vwelt.'

Referring particularly to Figs. land 2, a tag I2 is mounted between inner and outer layers Il and I5, respectively, of the welt of a stocking I6,

being 'knitted in place at the welt line I1 adjacent to the rear seam I8 and to the opening I9, vleft bythe seaming machine, in the inner' welt layer I4, ina manner and for a purpose, which will hereinafter more fully appear.y i' f ,50 The tag I2, preferablycomposedof limp or soft, washable, substantially solid material, mayv be of any of various forms, and may have designs orjcharacters on one'or both sides. Where the welt fabric is sufliciently sheer, thetag Vmay be have between the stocking and the tag. The tag,

like, both as to lfacility of reading the tag and as to any esthetic relation which it is desired to or a portion thereof, may be of a nature such that l certain marks, as of pencil or ink, of a temporary and removable character may beemployed, such feature facilitating the placing and removal of temporary checking data. or other information de# i sired to be placed on the stocking withoutinjury thereto. The tag may further be provided l with an area or areas such as an area 20,' upon which a grade mark may be placed after completionV of the stocking, as by-reaching through the opening I9; such grade mark indicating whether the stocking is a first, second orthir which grade it may not be certain the stocking will have until completed, with the tag in place.

A similar area fora date may, however. be provided on which the date is indicated by characters applied after completion of the stocking', or by characters placed on the tagrbefore mountingA y itin place.

nations of material or materials, such` as, being or a combination of these and other materials,

constructed of ordinary silk, or dye-resist silk,

and be provided in permanent color before dyeing the stocking, or of such color as to combine with the dye of the stocking to give a desired effect. y Y e Y' As indicated in Fig. 3, the. tag I2a may be of ordinary fine knit soft fabric,such as silk, which lends itself to ready mounting on the needles of a knitting machine for installation during the construction of the stocking, in accordance with a major feature of the invention, as will appear.

Inv Fig. 4, a tag I2b of the same material as tag I2, or of other lsubstantially solid material, such as tracing cloth, is provided with an edge 22 having preformed apertures 2| spaced therealong according to the gauge. of the needles, whereby the tag may be thrust over the beards ofthe needles, without imury to the tag or to the needles;4

this structure also ensuringthat the tag will be. inserted in correct position, especially where the tag is provided with like designs or inscriptionsk on opposite sides. l Y y Referring to Figs. rI to 10, inclusive, in knitting a full fashioned stocking, the welt is first knitted fiat, that is, with the inner and outer. walls "I4 f and I5, respectively of Figs. 1 and 2, disposed as one'piece in the Asame plane, as indicawdinFig.

'7, in which it is drawn away from the needles 2l by a welt b ar 25 carrying hooks 26.A As indicated in Fig, a, upon the compietionor the weit, the tag I2 is topped orrpositioned on the needles at the welt line I1, or last course of welt thread,

and the innerwelt layer, I4 is topped back over 'the outer layer I5 and over the'tagi2, to top the last course ofl we ltloops i2l Aover the needles; a usual welt rod`2ll being employedin this opera'- vtionand to'draw oiIvthe fabric during the knittingrof the remainder of me. ieg', a. portion u V0i' which is indicated in Fig. 10. The tag may simi-V larly be placed outside thewelt, ora combination of tags of like orl different character beplaced inside vand outsidethe .welt-as indicia or structural elements so far as the' broad invention is `concerned.

Anno the tagv .or 'tags f any suitable 'size" or shape mayl extend alongroraround, or at any local Iposition or positions alongor'4 about, the

.Arr is contempiadrthatthe fabric qi. texture of the tag may assume various forms and combif certain preservation'of thetag is provided.`

stocking, in accordance withsuch features, a tag between the welt layersil and i5 may preferably be placed near the opening I9 left by the seaming machine, as indicated in'Figs. 1 and 2, whereby direct access to the tagmay be had for viewing it, especially where the tag'can not readily be seen or read thru the wall of thewelt, or for other ipurposes, such as marking it, as by a grade c Y mark on the area 20 that may preferably be placed next to the opening I9. This arrangement also permits lremoval oi the tag, if desired, by the wearer, but since itis directly and completely interlooped with Vyarns of the stocking b ody proper, such removal may only be eilected,

`as by cutting close to the welt line, in a mannery which, altho `eil'ecting substantially entire removal of thetag, leaves at least a portion which cannot be removed.` 'I'he remaining portion of th'e tag, even if very small, clearly indicatesthat the tag kbody was present, and itself be so marked or constitut'ed.fas, bya secret inscription or thread arrangemenuasjto,still/indicate the manufacturer. In another form, the tag may be placed at a positiomfas at the front ofthe! welt, in whichhit. isl substantially inaccessible'x through the opening VIl'for remjovalas aboveindicated, in which case, altho certain of the advantages of having it adjacentto the opening' are not/present, the additional protection of the more danger of injury tothe fabric, isl rendered un? necessary; also, 'the use ofpa'ste and stickers,

with the accompanying stiifn'ess and undesirable characteristics thereof, .isavoided. Being, 'in a preferred form, disposed dat between the welt layers, and of a suitable degree of inherent resistance to curling, the tag naturally conforms to, f

and is held by such layers; against curlingv or injury In dyeing, washing and ironing-avoids wearer,a nd'has other advantages, which render the invention a. distinct improvement in` thev art to'which it relates. i

OI course, the improvements spedncally shown l and described, by which-r obtain the above resuits, can be changed and modified in various ways without departingfrom thescope of the" inventionf herein dimlod and china ed. y. 'l 1 ,i n i y I claimt 1.V The method of permanentiyattaching any" infomation tag of a. solid material to article or wearing apparel',fwhich` comprises ting a. portion ofthe article,`1pressing'the upon the shanks oftheneedlcs adjacent to the.

last course knitted therebynerforating the` same.'

rplacing a previously knitted .course of looliljof`r the article on the shanks of the needles over tag,andininr1oopin them with and courses by continuing knitting.

, 2. The method of permanently-securing formation tag to a fulll fashioncdustoching, which comprises knitting the -weit of said stocking, perrotating said tag with a single une o! holes spaced plying the tag to time shank of the needles 'above the last course of the welt, topping a previously in accordance with the gauge of the needles,- ap.

, Y t 45 becoming'uncoxnfortabie and unsightly to the the tag, and interlooping the loops and the tag together by continuing knitting.

3. In the production of a full fashioned stocking, the method of permanently securing an information tag of solid hard faced material to the stocking, which comprises knitting the Welt of the stocking, applying adjacent to an edge thereof a perforated tag to the Shanks of the needles above the last course of the welt, topping a previously formed course of loops of the Welt back upon the shanks of the needles above the,

tag, and interlooping the adjacent loops of the turned welt and the tag together by continuing knitting. f

4. In the production of a full fashioned stocking, the method of securing to the stocking an information tag of substantially solid material, which comprises knittingthe welt of the stocking, perforating said tag by pressing the same onv the shanks of the knitting needles adjacent to the last cou-rse of the welt, topping the iirst course back upon the shanks of the needles to form a turned welt, and in interknitting the tag tothe turned welt by continued knitting. n

5. A knitted article of Wearing apparel including an infomation tag secured thereto, said tag provided with a row of aligned apertures along one edge thereof, said tag having a course of the body yarn of the knitted article interlooped with the row of aligned aperturesand said tag being arranged between portions of the knitted structure of the article adjoining said row of apertures in position .to obstruct the complete removal of the .tag without rupture of the yarn.

6. A knitted article composed of yarn having a turned Welt or hem portion, anda preperforated information tag composed of non-ravelable materlal interlooped with the joining edges of said portion, said tag being arranged within said turned welt in position to obstruct the complete removal of the tag without rupture of some of said yarn.

c 7. 'Ihe combination of a knitted article composed of interengaging courses of loops of yarnposed of interengaging courses of loops of yarn m and an apertured information tag secured thereto by a course of said loops interlockingly en-A gaged in apertures of said tag,`the material of said tag adapted to damage said yarn upon 'the tag being pulled loose from the'article.

9. An article of wearing apparel formed from a knitted web composed of yarn andvprovided with a tag bearing information suitable to the article, said tag being composed of non-ravelable material and having a row of apertures along one edge, a loofp of said yarn passing through each aperture at a position to obstruct the removal of the tag from the article or to cause rupture of .the yarn or the tag if the tag is pulled loose. f

10.' The method of securing an information tag to a knitted stocking whichv comprises knitting courses of loops of yarn for the stocking, perforating a tag bearing information suitable to a knitted article and of non-ravelable material with a row of apertures along one edge spaced the same as the needles on which said courses were knitted, passing needles through the aperwl tures of said tag to place the tag over the last of said courses, and continuing the knitting to-` secure the tag interlockingly with the yarn of the stocking.

GUSTAV GASTRICH.` 

